Saxony’s Interior Minister, Armin Schuster (CDU), described the drone attack attempt on the Leipzig airport as an act of “state terrorism” and warned about a “new terrorist threat.” Speaking to Funke, he stated that German security agencies are facing a new dangerous situation due to the frequency and intensity of attacks, noting that these incidents constitute an entirely new form of terrorist threat that clearly requires naming and countering as state terrorism. Schuster stressed the critical importance of maintaining the current course of action, both in Saxony and nationwide, ensuring that police and intelligence services are equipped with adequate authorities and the necessary technical resources.
Previously, the Federal Government had assigned responsibility for the attempted explosive attack at Leipzig airport to Russia late Tuesday afternoon and announced new penalties against the country. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), alongside Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU), stated in a joint press conference in Berlin that “police investigations, attack patterns, and intelligence findings collectively demonstrate Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig airport.” Consequently, the government concluded that Russia was responsible for the hybrid attack on August 4.
Wadephul announced several new sanctions against Russia. The Russian General Consulate in Bonn will be closed on September 18, the Foreign Minister announced. Furthermore, the contract for the Russian House in Berlin will be terminated, entry controls for Russian nationals will be tightened, pressure on the Russian shadow fleet will be increased, and the federal government will lobby the EU to sanction additional Russian individuals responsible.
Meanwhile, Konstantin von Notz, a safety expert and deputy faction leader for the Green Party, praised the federal government for finally using “decidedly clearer language towards Russia,” while also demanding better cooperation between ministries. He told Funke that it was positive that the federal government was finally speaking more clearly to Russia, noting that it was long overdue to explicitly call out the aggressor. Von Notz noted that Russia has been bombarding Germany with spying, sabotage, and disinformation for months, saying that “the quality of the attacks has increased significantly in recent weeks.” The vice-president of the Parliamentary Control Committee (PKGr) in the Bundestag emphasized that further attacks must be anticipated ahead of state elections in several federal states.
In total, the Green politician von Notz argued that the state and society need to become “much more resilient.” He stated that the federal government must finally address the many unresolved issues, such as the primary responsibility of the Federal Police in defense against drones. Von Notz concluded that numerous further steps to improve the detection and defense against threats-which are no longer limited to hybrid dangers-are long overdue.
